Weymouth Scooter Rally 2024

It was glorious sunshine when we left home for the first leg of our trip to Weymouth, meeting Keith and Dean at Emsworth.  We took a route to the north of Chichester to avoid dual carriageways, and that continued once we were with the others, riding up Portsdown hill with stunning views across Portsmouth and towards the Isle of Wight.

We carried on to Wickham and then down to Romsey, with chief navigator Keith’s satnav taking us through some lovely country lanes and also some new housing estates, it was a really pleasant ride.

Beyond Romsey we were on the A31 and saw the first scooters, including Helen Champion at our first petrol stop.

We then stopped near Corfe Mullen for lunch and sat in the garden of the Lambs Green Inn, spending a leisurely hour or two chatting and eating.

Then it was onto the final leg, just over 20 miles to Weymouth where we headed for the rugby club as we couldn’t check into our B&B until 4.30pm.  We parked up and got some drinks, then walked to the campsite to watch Dean and Keith erect their tents (we did half-heartedly offer to help but they had it all under control!).

I took a few photos of some lovely scooters nearby and then we wandered to the rugby clubhouse for another refreshing drink and to escape the scorching sun.  By now it was time to ride into town and we managed to find the last two motorcycle parking bays near the digs.

Friday night

After a quick shower we headed back out and bumped into Lobby and his merry men, walking to the harbour for a stag do (Nasty Jon’s, I believe!) so we tagged along.  It was a lovely location for an evening drink and natter, and we were joined by Keith and Dean who’d bussed it over from the campsite.

I was feeling very peckish by now so we found somewhere for dinner, trying a few places but they were totally rammed, ending up in a fish and chip place which really hit the spot!  Next up was the do at the Pavilion, a short walk away.  We started in the main room but there were less tables and chairs than last time and those that were there were taken. So we headed upstairs where Dave Lloyd was spinning the tunes, and we could sit down for a chat. 

Ana’s girly gang of Gail, Tina and Beth arrived and it was great to see them, also Julie and Phil who we haven’t seen for ages, and a few A5s including Sandra and Robyn.

By now the Jam’d were on downstairs so we went to listen to them.  It wasn’t so easy to watch, with the lack of tables and chairs, and everyone just crowded around the edges.  The sound wasn’t great either – although I’m not sure if that was just the band! 

We flitted about, spending time sitting in the upstairs bar where it was nice for chatting, and eventually calling it a night around 11.30.  We are so rock ‘n’ roll….

Saturday

Saturday started quite wet so after a nice breakfast we chilled in our room until the rain stopped.  We then scooted over to the rugby club for the custom show, with me on the back of Lee so I didn’t lose my parking spot in the town!

There were some nice new scooters on display as well as some old favourites.   I really liked this smallframe!

And had a great chat with Colin Barrett who gave me the lowdown on his new monster Yambretta.  It’s so sleek and really packs a punch at 68bhp!

Scooter Name : Black’n, built by Col Barrett from Lowriders SC, Dorset

Fabricated and put right by Elite fabrication Poole Dorset, original work was defective.
Engine is a RD 350 ypvs mildly tuned by Mick Abbey and set up by 2T Engineering.
Runs a Zeeltronic ignition, dyna tech coils.
Exhausts built by Martin Johnson

Won best street racer on her maiden first rally at Dawlish. Weymouth is only her second outing.

Paint and hydro dip by Wicked coatings Dorset.

Front brake (work of art) built by the master, Winchester Dave Catcliffe Rotherham.

Black’n dyno-ed at 68bhp by Andy Ball of 2T Engineering.

I guess the rest is all my input. I designed Black’n and have spent hours and hours assembling and perfecting. Black’n has been a huge challenge for me. She rides beautifully once you get used to her, she’s quick (very quick) but has a planted feel, you’ve gotta remember the ergonomics are similar to a race bike with pegs and feet controls. Drop bars add to this street racer feel. What’s she cost me ! you seriously wouldn’t believe all this scooter has charged me! It would certainly put a nice deposit down on some real estate!

Regrets – none whatsoever; if you have a dream/vision of what you like and funds allow them then go balls out and do it! We ain’t getting any younger so grab the dream.

Top speed? Well I currently have an old gps speedo but it’s a one off and works intermittently. These Yambrettas are extremely quick for the size/weight of the power plant hence why they are still being built, just remember these motors are 40+ yrs older than what’s out there today and still there isn’t a lot that will equal its performance from a standard motor.

Eye candy factor 10/10 – Black’n likes a crowd and there certainly was one today!

We then wandered through the stalls and inevitably bumped into friends and stopped for a chat. 

I also swung by Alison Bowen’s ‘Before We Forget’ stall where she was offering stickers and badges in return for a donation to the Alzheimer’s Society.  I love a sticker so was happy to part with some cash for such a great cause.  If you want to find out more about their tour of 80s rally venues and make a donation then visit their website for further details.

Henry was on his Lambretta which he bought in 1990 and was previously owned by our local friend Karen Bourne in the 80s, it’s a small world!  I took a few photos so that Karen can see how it’s still going strong, having transported Henry thousands of miles around the UK and Europe.

Pub fun with the Choirboys

It was threatening to rain so we jumped back on the scooter and tried to get back to town in the dry, but failed miserably.  Lee shielded me from the worst of it but he was soaked through when we got back so did a quick change in the B&B before we headed back out.  After a brief stop in a café and then a bit of retail therapy we spotted the Choirboys outside a pub so joined them for a catch up. 

It started raining again so we decamped to the Cutter Hotel where we stayed for a couple of hours, with Lee getting quite merry and encouraging Campbell to share his hilarious stories.  It was an entertaining afternoon and we were joined by Keith and Dean too.

I was really peckish by now so we dragged ourselves away from the Salisbury gang and nipped over to Prezzo for food.  After that we nipped to the B&B for a quick change before meeting up with Keith and Dean again in Wetherspoons and then headed to the soul do at the Gloucester.  It was busy in there and the bar was crowded, but we found seats at the far end and although it took quite a while to be served eventually we settled down for a nice chat.  When we were ready for another drink the queues were even longer so we reluctantly went elsewhere, ending up at Finns where some comfy sofas were crying out to be sat on.  Although it was a biker pub, there were other scooterists there including Pete Davies and Disco Daz, with a busy pool table and punk band setting up to play.

We are lightweights these days so headed for bed after one more drink.  I’d love rallies to adopt the current ‘daytime disco’ trend so we could all peak early and then be in bed at a reasonable time 😂

Sunday ride home

Sunday dawned and the sun was shining again!  We had breakfast, packed up the scooters and rode over to the rugby club for one last time to meet Keith & Dean.  Although it was dry there were ominous grey clouds gathering in the east so I put on my waterproofs just in case. 

The first part of the ride was the boring part – the A35 and A31 towards Southampton.  We avoided the motorway again and took another scenic route via Romsey (where we stopped for petrol), Wickham and Havant.  We didn’t avoid the rain completely but the boys didn’t get too wet in their jeans.  My cautious approach paid off and my Alpinestars two-piece kept me dry!

It only took us 3 hours to get back – not bad for three Lambrettas with a combined age of 180+ years plus a 25 year old Vespa. 

It was a really good rally – the only thing missing was a decent boogie, but I’m sure I’ll make up for that at the Isle of Wight.  Fantastic people are always the main ingredients for a successful rally and there were plenty of those at Weymouth.  From our own little gang of four to the crazy Choirboys crew, the Bognor girlies, the A5s and everyone else we spoke to.  It’s a perfect town for a rally with the lovely harbour, plenty of pubs and eateries and a pretty beach.  Hopefully we’ll return in a couple of years!

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